


Little Talks

by mochi_star



Category: The Winner's Trilogy - Marie Rutkoski
Genre: F/M, Fluff, brief mention of Sarsine and Roshar, kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:02:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26309770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mochi_star/pseuds/mochi_star
Summary: After the war, there were still many things left unsaid and a few reminders to give. An afterword that consists of a dream, a talk, and more.
Relationships: Arin/Kestrel (The Winner's Trilogy)
Kudos: 11





	Little Talks

**Author's Note:**

> Title inspired from their nicknames Little Fists, Little Ghost, Little Herrani. This smol, adorable couple having a “little” talk ;)

Like Kestrel expected, her piano playing and Arin’s singing really did wake the house. More specifically, Sarsine. When Sarsine saw the two of them, she gave an expression between exasperation and amusement. They both gave sheepish smiles back and apologized, though they all knew it wasn’t fully sincere. 

As they returned to bed, Arin’s fingers went back to lazily tracing circles on her stomach again. 

Kestrel suddenly spoke, “I remember the time when you first asked me to play for you.”

He hummed in confirmation and smiled, “The Herrani song that was meant to be played with a flute.” 

“Yes. You told me you were a bit nervous singing earlier, but I never told you how nervous I was, in what you thought of me. Though it wasn’t difficult to play, I was so relieved when I saw that you liked it. You thanked me... and you looked at peace for the first time ever since I bought you. I wanted to get to know you better.” 

Arin sat up and looked down at her, grinning mischievously. “My Little Fists was nervous? Had she fallen for my good looks and charms that soon?” 

Kestrel sat up with him and swatted his arm. “That sounds like something Roshar would say!”

They both fell silent for a moment after hearing their friend’s name, showing how they missed him, but Arin smiled again as he continued to tease her,” My, what else has been kept from me. Any other thoughts you were embarrassed about, some confessions that you haven’t yet shared?”

By now he tugged her closer to sit on his lap. His teasing smile slid from his face when she smiled somewhat ruefully back at him. When she moved to cup his face, he silently guessed what she was about to bring up. 

“This hasn’t been told to you, as I never wanted to remind you of the event, but the reason why the emperor did this to you was because he wanted to punish me.”

His brow furrowed. “What for?” 

“He told me not to associate with the Herrani, yet I did anyway. Terren. You that time in the library. By damaging his trust, he wanted to damage the beauty of something I treasured.”

His gaze softened. “That’s not something you should feel sorry or regretful about.”

She gave a slight huff, “Then neither should you.” When he cocked a brow in response she elaborated, “Arin, as I’ve said before, scar or not, you are and will always be beautiful to me.” 

She proceeded to kiss his scar, eliciting a shiver and reminding him of the time when she named the parts on his face, saying she loved them after kissing what she’s named. He sounded vulnerable, or restrained (he wasn’t sure anymore) as he traced part of the lash mark that curled up her collarbone, hair falling a bit over his eyes as he murmured huskily, “What else?” 

“When we were last in your suite, we talked about the kisses we had.” She gently brushed his hair from his face and looked in his eyes. 

He was already thinking about kissing her, but he refrained. He wanted her to share everything she wanted to say. 

Her hand had already gone back to tracing his scar. “I already told you about the dream in the garden.” 

He nodded. 

“Another time, it was your suite, and you said you didn’t kiss me then.” 

Slightly confused, he nodded again, waiting for her to continue. “My memories were mixed up, but I remembered my wishes, my dreams, or other moments. It would almost always involve you.”

He gently caught her wrist, pulling it down from his face. “What was I like?”

She breathed a laugh. “Well, like in the dream of us in the imperial garden, you were you. Though instead of you being mischievous and touching me, those times it was I who would always find you somewhere in my dream. In your bedroom-“ he made a sound and his hand held hers a little tighter, causing her to smile a bit-“ but then it hurt me to think of us there, so I would find you in other places.” 

She paused for a moment, “I would imagine you winning the truth from me, my reasons. Then-“ 

She trailed off, the hand on his chest moving to cup his cheek. His thumb caressed her hand , his voice quiet and simmering as he asked, “And then?” 

She hadn’t noticed that he had his other hand squeezed into a fist beside him. From the corner of her eye she saw him slowly unclench it, before leaning forward in his lap and answering,“ Come closer, and I’ll tell you,” but he was already bringing his hand up to her face to lower her mouth to his. 

She felt his breath hitch when their lips met, before he pulled her closer against him, both his hands moving to the curves of her hips. She was now fully on his lap, the space between them nonexistent. They kissed each other ravenously, and Kestrel enjoyed the rare sounds he made when she brushed her tongue into his mouth and when her fingers played with the ends of his hair, occasionally tugging on them. 

He whispered her name between ragged breaths and shuddered as she kissed a spot between his neck and ear. She went up to kiss the scar on his cheek again, moving to pull his tunic over his head. He did the same for her nightdress as she nipped at his collarbone, delighting in another sound he made. Then among their touches and sounds, they stopped talking. 

_________

After they’ve caught their breaths, they now laid facing each other, Arin’s hand playing with a lock of her hair, and her peacefully gazing at his face. 

She slowly began, “Sometimes these things still don’t feel real. Then I would realize how I’ve denied myself of the better things for so long. Now-“ her voice broke off, but he gently continued for her. “And now we have made the things we desire, real. We’ve obtained better things. I have them. Have you.” 

She met his gaze, and Arin smiled at the expression he saw on her face, in her eyes. He tugged one of her hands to put against his heart, letting her feel it beat before he spoke again, “I love you, Kestrel. My soul, my entire being will always be yours. We both know that it is.” 

Her eyes watered at the confession and the reminder of what he’s told her a long while ago. How the moment then greatly, yet possibly not all that great, differed from their moment now. 

“My soul is yours,” he had said. “You know that it is.”

She repeated what she has said before as well. “They’ll say that I’m yours, just as you are mine.” 

She gave a loving smile after her statement, letting Arin pull her close in his arms, both breathing out small sighs.

She knew that this happy, dream-like state was real. In this moment, as she felt Arin’s palm on her forehead and heard him whisper the Herrani blessing for dreams, she can somehow finally remind herself that she’s won.

**Author's Note:**

> Though it’s been a few years, I’ve missed this series a lot and a rereading just gave me this. I remember how I still wanted more when it ended. Since this idea wouldn’t leave my head, I decided that I might as well try to write it. If you read this, hope you enjoyed!


End file.
